Orphan choir brings message of hope despite lives of pain

Members of the Watoto Children’s Choir from Uganda perform at Valley View Baptist Church on Wednesday. The choir, made up of 22 children and 10 adults, will perform throughout Alabama until March 3. The performance is titled “Beautiful Africa.” All of the children in the choir have lost one or both of their parents and now reside in the Watoto Children’s Villages. The choir raises awareness about the struggles children face in Africa.

In the light, two boys appeared, shirtless and wearing leopard-print baggy pants and bushy headdresses.

They leaned backward onto their hands, their torsos arched upward, and began kicking their bare feet into the air in a coordinated dance. Seconds later, the sanctuary at Valley View Baptist Church exploded into green, red, yellow and purple lights, and children with heavy African accents dancing and singing praises to God.

The Watoto Children’s Choir made its first of five tour stops in Tuscaloosa on Wednesday bringing the message of salvation through Jesus Christ through song, dance and testimonies.

The Watoto Children’s Choir was started in 1992 and is made up of orphans from Uganda who were child soldiers or whose parents have been murdered in war, died of HIV/AIDS, poverty or unknown diseases. The purpose of the choir is for the children to act as ambassadors to the world, teaching people about the plight of Africa’s orphans and the message of the Gospel.

One by one, children stepped forward on the stage. A stage light illuminated each of them as they took turns telling how they became orphans.“My mother abandoned me in the hospital when I was born,” a boy said.

“My dad was killed when I was 5 years old,” a girl said. “My mother died that same year. I had no relatives to take care of me and I felt alone.”

“My entire family was killed,” a boy said. “I remember being so hungry. I thought about food all the time. I was so lonely and hungry that I wanted to die.”

Another child stepped into the light and said, “In moments like these, we looked to Jesus.”

A song ensued. The light voices of children filled the sanctuary.

“In the dark of night, you are my light,” they sang. “I am not alone ... Lord, you lift me up and hold me close. I am not alone. You’re a friend like no other. You’ve become the air I breath. Jesus, more than anything, you are the life I hope to lead.”

Brian Katongole, the group leader of the choir, said the orphans live in three Watoto villages in Uganda where adults care for them, provide them with an education and minister to them. The villages house 200,700 children and also

widows who are HIV-positive.

“Our mission is to rescue orphans, raise leaders from these children and rebuild a nation,” Katongole said. “Most of these children have lost their parents from HIV/AIDS, which is the greatest threat in Africa. Also, many of their parents have died from unknown diseases.

There is no more war in Uganda, he said.

“The war where the LRA (the Lord’s Resistance Army) rebels with Kony as their leader attacked and killed villagers stopped in 2006. But it left behind so many orphaned children and child soldiers,” Katongole said.

“It’s quite challenging to rehabilitate child soldiers. We use ministry because we feel that it is an issue of the soul. We do continuous trauma counseling until they can forgive themselves and regain their humanity. They feel so bad because they were forced to kill their own families by beating them to death, shooting them, or biting them to death. Biting their families to death is what the rebels forced them to do.”

According to the Watoto website, more than 20,000 children in Uganda have been abducted and forced to become child soldiers.

Ashley Platt, a 27-year-old Tuscaloosa resident who attended the performance, said she thought the choir was incredible.

“Definitely an awesome ministry,” she said. “Just to hear the stories of the kids and the broken worlds they come from and to now see the smiles on their faces ... it’s a humbling experience.”

Anyone interested in helping the Watoto Villages or the choir through donations, sponsorship of a child or by visiting one of the villages, go to www.

<p>TUSCALOOSA | The lights went out.</p><p>Thirty seconds passed in complete darkness, then a red light shone.</p><p>In the light, two boys appeared, shirtless and wearing leopard-print baggy pants and bushy headdresses.</p><p>They leaned backward onto their hands, their torsos arched upward, and began kicking their bare feet into the air in a coordinated dance. Seconds later, the sanctuary at Valley View Baptist Church exploded into green, red, yellow and purple lights, and children with heavy African accents dancing and singing praises to God.</p><p>The Watoto Children's Choir made its first of five tour stops in Tuscaloosa on Wednesday bringing the message of salvation through Jesus Christ through song, dance and testimonies.</p><p>The Watoto Children's Choir was started in 1992 and is made up of orphans from Uganda who were child soldiers or whose parents have been murdered in war, died of HIV/AIDS, poverty or unknown diseases. The purpose of the choir is for the children to act as ambassadors to the world, teaching people about the plight of Africa's orphans and the message of the Gospel.</p><p>One by one, children stepped forward on the stage. A stage light illuminated each of them as they took turns telling how they became orphans.“My mother abandoned me in the hospital when I was born,” a boy said.</p><p>“My dad was killed when I was 5 years old,” a girl said. “My mother died that same year. I had no relatives to take care of me and I felt alone.”</p><p>“After my parents died, my relatives didn't want to look after me,” a boy said.</p><p>“My entire family was killed,” a boy said. “I remember being so hungry. I thought about food all the time. I was so lonely and hungry that I wanted to die.”</p><p>Another child stepped into the light and said, “In moments like these, we looked to Jesus.”</p><p>A song ensued. The light voices of children filled the sanctuary.</p><p>“In the dark of night, you are my light,” they sang. “I am not alone ... Lord, you lift me up and hold me close. I am not alone. You're a friend like no other. You've become the air I breath. Jesus, more than anything, you are the life I hope to lead.”</p><p>Brian Katongole, the group leader of the choir, said the orphans live in three Watoto villages in Uganda where adults care for them, provide them with an education and minister to them. The villages house 200,700 children and also </p><p>widows who are HIV-positive.</p><p>“Our mission is to rescue orphans, raise leaders from these children and rebuild a nation,” Katongole said. “Most of these children have lost their parents from HIV/AIDS, which is the greatest threat in Africa. Also, many of their parents have died from unknown diseases.</p><p>There is no more war in Uganda, he said. </p><p>“The war where the LRA (the Lord's Resistance Army) rebels with Kony as their leader attacked and killed villagers stopped in 2006. But it left behind so many orphaned children and child soldiers,” Katongole said. </p><p>“It's quite challenging to rehabilitate child soldiers. We use ministry because we feel that it is an issue of the soul. We do continuous trauma counseling until they can forgive themselves and regain their humanity. They feel so bad because they were forced to kill their own families by beating them to death, shooting them, or biting them to death. Biting their families to death is what the rebels forced them to do.”</p><p>According to the Watoto website, more than 20,000 children in Uganda have been abducted and forced to become child soldiers.</p><p>Ashley Platt, a 27-year-old Tuscaloosa resident who attended the performance, said she thought the choir was incredible.</p><p>“Definitely an awesome ministry,” she said. “Just to hear the stories of the kids and the broken worlds they come from and to now see the smiles on their faces ... it's a humbling experience.”</p><p>Anyone interested in helping the Watoto Villages or the choir through donations, sponsorship of a child or by visiting one of the villages, go to www.</p><p>watoto.com.</p><p>Reach Jamon Smith at jamon.smith@tuscaloosanews.com or 205-722-0204.</p>